Tales of the Lost Tribe: Blazing Memory
by Dustwhisker The Cat
Summary: Fire that Burns After Lightning is a prey-hunter of the Tribe of the Rustling Oak, a tribe of cats that reside in a forest far away from the four clans. But when two strange cats threaten the stability of the tribe would Fire be able to restore order? Find out in "Tales of the Lost Tribe: Blazing Memory". Read, review, and enjoy! -Dustwhisker
1. Alliegiances and Prolouge

******So here are the allegiances and the prologue for "Tales of the Lost Tribe: Blazing Memory" and I am really excited for this because this is my second series for "Warriors" (which I do NOT own). Please enjoy!  
**

**Allegiances**

Tribe of the Rustling Oak

Healer: Teller of the Fallen Leaves (Leafteller) –Small dark ginger tabby tom

Prey-Hunters: (Toms and she-cats that specialize in hunting)

Bright Star that Shines by Night (Bright) - Sleek dark cream she-cat

Fire that Burns after Lightning (Fire) – Fluffy snowy-white she-cat with bright-red scars on face

Morning of the Red Sun (Morning) – Ginger tabby and white tom

To-Be Pond with the Tall Reeds (Pond)

Daisy that Stands Tall in Wind (Daisy) – Gray and white she-cat

Tree-Guards:  (Toms and she-cats that specialize in fighting)

Crystal of Falling Ice (Crystal) – Tabby light ginger she-cat

To-Be: Storm that Waits in Distance (Storm)

Bramble with Feather in Thorns (Bramble) – Broad-shouldered ginger tom with thick pelt

Hawk that Soars above Clouds (Hawk) – Large cream and brown tom

Rowan Tree that Covers the Sky (Rowan) - Dark ginger tabby tom with thick pelt

To-Bes: (Over eight moons old in training to become a prey-hunter or tree-guard)

Storm that Waits in Distance (Storm) – Slender black tom

Pond with the Tall Reeds (Pond) – Brown tabby she-cat

Kit Mothers: (She-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Marsh where Lily Pads Lay (Marsh) – Gray tabby with blue eyes

Minnow that Darts in Stream (Minnow) – Mottled gray with amber eyes

Flash of the Flying Firefly (Flash) – White with black tail and blue eyes

Elders: (Former prey-hunters, tree-guards, and kit-mothers)

Raccoon that Hides in Shadows (Raccoon) – Dark gray tom

**Prologue**

Flames roared through the branches of an olden oak, leaping from branch-to-branch as fast as any squirrel could. Below the branches cats scurried to flee from the flames.

"Poppy what happened to the other kits?" yowled a dark gray tom to a pale ginger she-cat carrying a newborn kit.

"I'm so sorry, Raccoon," whispered Poppy solemnly stumbling up to the tom. "I just couldn't carry all of them it is all my fault."

Raccoon bowed his head and scrunched up his eyes. _Please this can't be happening, _the tree guard thought hopelessly. _In the name of the Tribe of Endless Hunting let this be a bad dream. _

Feeling the heat lick his fur again Raccoon forced open his eyes. Falling pieces of charred wood and burning leaves filled the air with smoke. He looked towards the great oaks where the Tribe of the Rustling Oak made their home amongst the numerous hollows and gaps in the roots. The kit-mother den was completely up in flames that were rapidly spreading elsewhere. Raccoon suddenly felt a liquid pooling up around his paws. Looking down he found it was a bright red and was forming a puddle beneath his feet. To his absolute horror he realized it was blood!

"Poppy you are bleeding!" he yowled to his mate over the roar of the flames and caterwauls of panicking cats. "Quickly we need to get you and the kit to Leafteller!"

Raccoon plucked the kit from Poppy's jaws, put his shoulder to her shoulder and started urging her on towards the edge of the clearing.

"Come on Poppy," he meowed around the kit's tiny scruff. "If we make it up to the Hill of the Bright Moon we will be safe from the flames."

"Raccoon… Please... I… can't… go… on…," Poppy faintly meowed before she collapsed onto the hard-packed earth.

"What? Y-yes you can," stuttered Raccoon. "Please you have to you-you have not even named the kit!"

"Silly toms…" Poppy faintly meowed opening her eyes a bit her voice softer. "I am dying only because I gave birth to that kit and her siblings… I don't have to go on any longer…" she murmured Raccoon straining to hear her. "Being with you and giving birth to my own kits has already filled my life with more joy than I could have ever hoped for…"

_But giving birth has already taken away your life as well, _Raccoon thought looking at the blood dribbling out from between her back legs. "But you still need to name your kit," he meowed feeling the kit struggle feebly. "What was the first thing you saw when you gave birth to it?"

"Fire…" Poppy murmured. "Name her, she is a she-cat, Fire that Burns after Lightning…" Poppy sighed as her eyelids fell closed the faint rise and fall of her chest stopped.

Raccoon had no time to mourn his mate's loss. Treacherous burning fragments were starting to singe his pelt and he felt that now his purpose was to get the kit to safety.

"See you in the Tribe of Endless Hunting, my love," he meowed quietly, stealing one last look at the once-beautiful ginger she-cat who had once truly been the passion of his life. Taking the kit he dashed up the Moonhill to safety, the long dew laden grass soothing his paw-pads that had been burned by the blazing ashes.

Raccoon reached the top of the Moonhill. The stars were obscured by the heavy dark clouds that had brought the lightning which ignited the fire. He suddenly felt a drop of coolness hit is fur.

"Raccoon that Hides in Shadows come over here."

Raccoon turned to the source of the voice and he found a small, dark ginger tabby tom with large emerald green eyes taking shelter under a tall willow tree.

"Leafteller!" Raccoon meowed padding over to him.

"Is that a kit you have there?" asked Leafteller.

"Yes," he meowed his throat tightening. "It is my mate's kit."

"Where is your mate?" asked Leafteller.

"She is with the Tribe of Endless Hunting now," Raccoon meowed bowing his head longing to just collapse and wail his grief to the sky.

"Let me see it," growled Leafteller.

Raccoon handed over the kit to Leafteller's jaws. Leafteller set the kit on the ground and studied her for a few moments. "Raccoon does this kit have a name?"

"Yes, her name is Fire that Burns after Lightning," Raccoon meowed.

"Well it seems your kit has been burned badly," meowed Leafteller.

"What?" meowed Raccoon. "Is she in pain? Will she live?"

"She had just been burned in the face," meowed Leafteller. "She would live but her appearance would never be the same."

"What? Let me see!" yowled Raccoon rushing up to his kit. When he looked in his kit's face he nearly gagged. The burned area was charred and black some places were bright red with blood oozing out. "How could this happen to my kit?" he gasped.

"Calm down Raccoon," meowed Leafteller placing his tail on his shoulder. "The burns luckily have not affected any of her eyes or her nose and by what I can see here she could make a fine prey-hunter some day."

"So she will…" Raccoon trailed off. "I just hope my tribe-mates would be just as accepting as you, Leafteller."

**So what do you think? Is it good? I'd really like to know your opinions! So please PLEASE review!  
**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello my people of awesomeness! (Should I call all of my _great_ reviewers my people of awesomeness?) This is chapter one of "Tales of the Lost Tribe: Blazing Memory" so be sure to review at the end and enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 1**

A darkness only equivalent to a night with no stars surrounded Fire on all sides. She was deafened by a never-ending roar. She tried flailing her limbs to run but they only churned up air. Fire suddenly felt a searing pain on her face; it burned into her flesh and spread throughout her whole body. Fire suddenly felt herself being whisked away into the never-ending blazing shadows.

"Fire, stop scratching me!"

Fire's eyes shot open. Dawn light shone in through the gap of the oak roots where the prey-hunters made their den causing Fire to blink a few times before her eyes adjusted to the light. _Thank the Tribe of Endless Hunting that was only a dream. _The snowy-white she-cat suddenly became aware that her claws were unsheathed and that she felt fur around her back ones.

"Sorry Bright," she muttered looking up and sheathing her claws.

"Fire you beetle-brain you actually cut me!" exclaimed Bright.

"Sorry!" Fire repeated "I was just having another bad dream!"

"You and your excuses," muttered Bright bending over to lick the small bright-red wounds Fire had made on her haunches.

Fire sighed; there was nothing she could do to make Bright believe that she really had a bad dream. "I just need some water," she meowed even though she was not thirsty to excuse herself. The snowy white she-cat slipped through the gap of the roots of the prey-hunter den and emerged into the Clearing of the Rustling Oak.

She looked around, to one side of her was the Hollowtree, a dead, hollow, oak where the kit-mothers rested. To another side of her was the tree-guard den also located in the roots of another oak. The to-be den was on the far side of the clearing inside the Fallentree, a hollow log. Fire spotted the Burnedtree, a tree that was struck by lightning many moons ago. Fire shivered despite the fact that it was the Time of Full Leaves and the air was warm. The prey-hunter tenderly raised a tail-tip to touch one of the bright-red scars left on her face; they would forever be a reminder of what happened there.

Cats were beginning to emerge from all the dens, as the dawn sun woke them up. But Fire didn't feel like being around any other cats right now. _I just need to be alone, _she thought. Fire remembered one of the only places in the Clearing of the Rustling Oak that she could find some peace, _The Pond of the Fallen Leaves._

Fire remembered the peaceful pool; it was where Leafteller made all of his tellings. _Leafteller is kind enough, _she thought. _Maybe he can help me._

Skirting the oak and rounding a bramble thicket she came upon another still clearing. This one had the same hard-packed earth as the other but it was a whole lot more quiet and calm. The clearing was ringed by bramble thickets which surrounded the Pond of the Fallen Leaves.

The Pond of the Fallen Leaves was a roundish pool set below a large oak whose branches seemed to reach out over the pool sending dancing shadows spilling across its surface. The scent of herbs hit Fire's scent-glands like the aroma of freshly caught prey. She spotted a few different varieties of them growing along the shoreline.

The snowy-white she-cat also picked up the scent of Leafteller. Fire caught sight of the healer tenderly nipping at the stems of the leaves on a bush with white flowers growing near the pond.

"Leafteller?" Fire tentatively mewed.

The small dark ginger tabby tom twisted around with a bundle of the leaves in his mouth. He quickly lowered his small, neat, head and set the leaves down.

"Greetings, Fire that Burns after Lightning what can I do for you?" Leafteller asked.

"Leafteller, I have been having these bad dreams," began Fire. "I keep on dreaming about when I was a kit," she paused for a few moments, "And got burned in the fire. What does it mean?" the prey-hunter asked.

"Fire," began Leafteller. "You are simply relieving what, was the worst moment of your life. I have too," he meowed. "That same night of the fire I watched from the Hill of the Clear Moon as the clearing burned," he meowed his forest-green eyes shadowing. "I feared that everything I and my ancestors worked for had been lost. Thank the Tribe of Endless Hunting for the rain that was able to quell the flames," purred Leafteller. "But it was a horrible feeling, I felt so helpless since I couldn't possibly do anything to keep my tribe from burning. I still remember that moment even after all those moons," he meowed. "But the most important thing is that you must not let memories of the past overwhelm you."

"I see," Fire responded. "Thank you Leafteller," she meowed bowing her head to the healer before skirting the brambles

The clearing seemed to come alive. The kit-mothers were carefully supervising their kits' play by the Hollowtree. Prey-hunters and tree-guards were gathering to go hunting.

"Hey, Fire would you like to go hunting with me?" a ginger tabby and white tom asked.

"Sure, Morning!" responded Fire dashing up to her fellow prey-hunter.

"I convinced Bramble and Hawk to come with us," Morning meowed turning his head to the two tree-guards. Bramble, a broad-shouldered ginger tom nodded in agreement.

"We should get going then," meowed Hawk, a large cream and brown tom.

Fire narrowed her eyes at her prey, a starling absorbed at pecking at something on the ground at the foot of a beech tree. The prey hunter flicked her eyes at Morning. The ginger tabby tom was concealed at one of the lower branches of the beech tree, ready to pounce when Fire scared the starling up to him.

With a yowl Fire exploded from the shrub she was hiding in. The starling gave a little shriek of alarm and sprang to flutter up into the branches of the beech. Morning then leapt out of the leaves that concealed him and tackled the bird in midair. Morning landed on the ground with the starling clamped firmly in his jaws.

"Pretty good catch huh?" asked Morning.

"Yeah I would say so," meowed Fire.

Suddenly a new scent passed over Fire's scent glands. It was not one of prey. _It is the scent of rouge cats!_

"Bramble! Hawk! We have intruders!" she yowled.

Two cats suddenly stepped through the undergrowth, claws unsheathed, maliciously. One of them sprang at Fire and pinned her to the ground. "You shouldn't have called your friends," he hissed in Fire's ear.

**This story is just getting started everyone! Things are getting a little exciting already aren't they? Please take the time to review though I greatly value feedback!**

**-Dustwhisker  
**


	3. Chapter 2

**Starting off from the last chapter we shall now see what happens next! And I _beg_ you to PLEASE review.  
**

**Chapter 2**

Fire tried clawing at the strange cat with her hind claws but the stranger held her down with such force that all she could do was squirm underneath his grip. She looked up and caught sight of malicious orange eyes and sharp fangs hovering precariously above her throat. Fire closed her eyes waiting for them to sink into her windpipe.

"Ebony, get off of her!"

Fire suddenly felt the weight being lifted up off of her. She opened her eyes and saw a lean silver brown tabby tom with his shoulder against a muscular, stocky black-furred tom, shoving him away from her.

At the same moment Hawk and Bramble burst through the undergrowth.

"Who are you? Explain yourself for attacking our prey-hunter!" hissed Bramble, the fur along his arched back bristling, eyes narrowed at the stocky black-furred tom.

Fire got up from the ground, shaking the clumps of dirt from her pelt. She looked upon the two trespassers. _It was the black-furred one that attacked me, _she thought looking at the black tom who had his ears flat against his head and his flank turned towards the tree-guards.

"Listen, we are real sorry about that," meowed the silver tabby tom. "Ebony just doesn't know when to keep his claws sheathed."

"Don't treat me like a kit, Hail!" snarled Ebony turning towards the silver tabby. "You are the one who dragged me over here in the first place!"

"But why are you here, are you just wanderers passing by?" asked Hawk.

_Hail must be the silver tabby, _figured Fire.

"No," meowed Hail shifting his blue eyes towards Ebony, "In fact we are looking for a tribe of cats said to be in this forest."

"Really?" asked Bramble. "And why are you searching for this tribe?"

"We want to join it," answered Hail.

A long silence followed. _Why would wanderers want to join the Tribe of the Rustling Oak? _Thought Fire, _How do we know we can trust them?_

Apparently every other cat was thinking the same thing.

"Is that true?" asked Hawk.

"Yes," meowed Hail.

"Okay," responded Bramble. "We will take you before the Teller of the Fallen Leaves, he will be the one to decide if both of you are to join the Tribe of the Rustling Oak."

"Considering you won't cause any trouble," meowed Hawk.

"We promise we won't," responded Hail. "We are honored to be given the chance to join your tribe."

Fire looked towards Ebony. The black-furred tom was looking down and scowling but followed when Hawk and Bramble started trudging off through the undergrowth.

Fire suddenly realized that her fellow prey-hunter was missing!

"Wait, Hawk, Bramble, Morning is missing!" yowled Fire to the two tree-guards.

"Don't worry Fire I'm up here," meowed Morning as he dropped down from a tree behind Fire his mew a bit muffled by the starling in his mouth.

"What were you doing up there?" asked Fire.

"Protecting prey," Morning meowed hastily.

_He probably got scared, _thought Fire.

"Come on we need to get back to the clearing," meowed Hawk taking the lead while Bramble fell behind Ebony and Hail.

Fire and Morning followed behind Bramble as they and the two wanderers set off towards the Clearing of the Rustling Oak.

All four cats made their way along the forest, following well trodden trails that lead to the Clearing of the Rustling Oak.

_How much do they know about the tribe anyways? _Thought Fire, _Were they spying on us?_

"I'm sure you must be wondering why we would want to join anyways," piped up Hail.

"Don't talk now," meowed Hawk, distrust gleaming in his eyes. "You might not even to get to join it is completely Leafteller's decision whether or not you join us."

Hail nodded but Ebony's eyes remained fixated on the ground.

_Ebony sure doesn't seem to be as enthusiastic as Hail to join the Tribe of the Rustling Oak, _noted Fire. _I hope Leafteller doesn't let any of them join, I don't trust them anyways._

"Let's move a bit faster," meowed Bramble. "The Clearing of the Rustling Oak is right ahead."

"We can't let them join the tribe who knows if we can trust them?" yowled Rowan, a dark ginger tabby tree-guard.

"Yeah who even knows where they came from?" concurred Daisy, a gray and white she-cat.

All of Fire's tribe-mates were protesting strongly against Leafteller's decision all around her. Fire herself was shocked by the healer's decision. _How could he be beetle-brained enough to accept strangers into the tribe?_

"Enough!" yowled Leafteller from the High-Boulder, a large grayish rock wedged in the ground where he called tribe meetings. "We must be _open _to those who are willing enough to learn our ways and lend an extra set of claws to help feed us and help protect us. Give them a chance at least and if they violate any of our customs or prove themselves to be of no worth then yes they will be exiled from this tribe!"

At this statement the objections ceased and the clearing quieted.

"Good," Leafteller continued. "Ebony and Hail, you know very well that in order to join our tribe you need to be willing to learn our ways. So will you be willing to accept the title of to-be and be trained as either a prey-hunter or a tree-guard?"

"Yes," meowed Hail confidently.

"Yes…" echoed Ebony a bit reluctantly.

"Then Ebony, since you appear to have a stocky build you will be trained as a tree-guard under Bramble with Feather in Thorns," meowed Leafteller.

Bramble padded over to Ebony, they both gave each-other an icy glare before returning together to the crowd.

"Hail," Leafteller continued. "You seem more sleek and agile so you will be trained as a prey-hunter," Leafteller meowed

"You will be trained by Fire that Burns after Lightning."

**Once again, review, people of awesomeness! (I'll probably call you that!)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry that I have been taking so long to update but here it is! The third chapter! This, I hope, should be pretty intriguing. Always enjoy and always review! (And thanks to all of my people of awesomeness who gave me their GREAT opinions on the last chapter (they really help me!)  
**

**Chapter 3**

Fire held extremely still, looking down at her snow-white paws. The white-pelted prey hunter hoped that if she kept still enough Leafteller would choose another cat to be Hail's teacher. She flicked her gaze towards Hail. The silver tabby was swinging his gaze around the assembled cats probably looking to see who would be his teacher.

"Fire please step forward and greet your to-be," meowed Leafteller, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"_Okay_," Fire complied grudgingly. _Why do I have to train this stranger? _She thought mutinously. _Couldn't Leafteller choose some other cat?_ The prey hunter slowly raised her head and started padding towards Hail. When they came face-to-face Fire bowed her head and Hail did the same.

An icy silence wreathed around the entire clearing.

"Well then," Leafteller meowed breaking the stillness. "We still have plenty of daylight left let's not waste it. Prey-hunters and tree-guards can return to their duties," he finished.

With that the gathered cats broke up and began going back to their jobs.

"So what is first teacher?" asked Hail.

"Just follow me," Fire responded. _I will find out what this is all about, _the white she-cat thought. _I'll take this stranger into the forest and ask him what this is all about._

Fire ducked under the bramble arch, a hollowed out scoop in the ground that led under one of the numerous bramble thickets that ringed the Clearing of the Rustling Oak. She and Hail emerged from the other side. Fire first followed one of the well-trodden trails that snaked throughout the oak-forest. The two cats padded under the shifting shadows of the green leaves of the trees which shielded the pair from the blistering rays of the bright sun.

Fire then veered off towards the sound of a stream. Rounding a few elderberry plants the duo came upon a gurgling stream. The clear water spilled across some smooth granite stones before collecting into a small circular pool lined with reeds before flowing out again.

There Fire rounded on Hail. "All right Hail listen," snarled the scarred prey-hunter baring her teeth. "You better tell me the _real_ reason how you found this tribe and why you want to join us so badly."

Hail jumped back a pawstep in surprise.

For a brief moment Fire felt a bit sorry for being so fierce to a cat who seemed to intend no harm but she knew that she must know everything.

The two stood tensely at each other. Fire finally relaxed let the fur along her spine lie down. "Just start from the beginning," she meowed a bit more calmly still not shifting her gaze from the silver tabby.

"Well you see," Hail began. "Ebony and I are littermates. We were both born in a twolegplace," the silver tabby meowed.

"A twolegplace?" meowed Fire. "What is that?"

"It is where these tall creatures live," meowed Hail. "They are hairless except for a little bit on their heads and they walk on two legs."

"You mean a tallbeing?" asked Fire remembering the stories of the tall hairless creatures who roared around in loud roundpaws.

"Yes if that is what you call them," responded Hail. "My mother always told me stories about this tribe of cats who lived in this forest. She told me about how they lived together and hunted for each-other," the silver tabby meowed.

"But how did she know about the tribe?" asked Fire.

"I don't know I never asked," meowed Hail shrugging his silver tabby shoulders.

"Then what made you come to us?" questioned Fire.

"It sounded great in a tribe," responded Hail. "It sounded as if you always have someone to look out for you," he meowed bringing his gaze back up again. "It sounded as if you were never alone."

"But you just left your home and your mother like that?" asked Fire. She couldn't imagine herself doing such a thing. She would have never left her mother, Poppy, if she hadn't died in the fire nor could she possibly consider leaving the tribe that she grew up in.

"You see she-," Hail cut himself off and dropped his gaze. "She got crushed by a roundpaw," he choked closing his blue eyes. "That is when I realized that the twolegplace was a terrible place to be. I remember the stories, Finch, my mother told me about the tribe and I never turned back as I left for the forest with my brother," the silver tabby meowed.

Fire couldn't believe it. Hail was a grown cat that actually had a story behind his arrival into the tribe. _He doesn't have any bad intentions at all!_ "I'm sorry," Fire meowed looking at her paws feeling guilty for being so distrustful. "I know how you feel; I lost my mother too, in a fire."

"The same fire that gave you these?" asked Hail raising a tail-tip and tracing them along one of the thin, tender, bright red scars on Fire's face.

Fire gasped and drew away; nobody had ever touched her face in that way. In fact everyone seemed a little bit repelled by her appearance. "Yes," Fire breathed. "But aren't you bothered by them?"

"No, not at all," responded Hail. "I am not bothered by anything that the cat who is willing enough to mentor and teach me has to show me, even if you don't trust me to be a loyal member of the tribe."

Fire was completely blown away by the sincerity in Hail's tone. Never in her entire life had anyone shown that they were not in some way bothered by her appearance.

"So you really want to become a part of this tribe?" asked Fire.

"Yes," answered Hail.

"Then I do trust you," Fire meowed. "Now come, to-be, there are a lot of things you need to learn."

**Hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this! Please review!**

**-Dustwhisker  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry I have not been around to update lately! I have been so busy trying to complete my new Warriors RP (Link in my profile if you want to check it out) Anyways I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Remember to review!  
**

**-Dustwhisker  
**

**Chapter 4**

"As you may already know there are tree-guards and prey-hunters," began Fire. "The tree guards are supposed to protect the prey-hunters and the Clearing of the Rustling Oak from enemies such as badgers, foxes, and rouge cats."

"And prey-hunters hunt to feed the entire tribe right?" asked Hail.

"Yes, as the title suggests," answered Fire.

The two cats were conversing underneath one of the many oaks in the forest. Fire was lying on her side, her shoulder propped up against a tree root and her snowy-white paws resting on the leaf-strewn floor. Hail was doing the same except facing Fire.

"So Fire is not your full name right?" asked Hail.

"Yes it is not my full name," responded Fire twisting her head and smoothing down her pelt with strokes of her tongue. "My full name is Fire that Burns After Lightning," she explained pausing from her washing.

"Really, who named you?" asked Hail.

"My mother did," Fire answered, her voice dropping a bit. "Here in the tribe we have a tradition of naming kits after the first thing their mother sees after they are born."

"I see," responded Hail his voice solemn.

Fire knew that Hail understood that the only reason why she was named Fire that Burns After Lightning was because that was what her mother first saw after she was born. _And the last thing she ever saw… _thought Fire.

"So when can we start hunting?" Hail mewed eager to change the subject.

"Well that depends," Fire responded getting to her paws. "How much do you already know about hunting?"

"Well…" Hail began. "I can hunt for myself in a twolegplace but I have never hunted in a forest before…"

"Okay then," Fire meowed. "We will start at the basics then."

Hail nodded and got up to his paws.

"In a forest there are lots of places for prey to hide so you can't chase it," began Fire. "That is why you must stalk it."

"Oh! I have stalked prey before," meowed Hail. "You crouch like this right?" the silver tabby asked flattening himself to the forest floor.

"Yes, but you must keep your chest and belly off of the ground so that you don't rustle any leaves and scare away prey," Fire explained.

"Oh, right," responded Hail raising himself a bit.

"Also try keeping your tail off the ground so that it doesn't disturb anything," meowed Fire noting that Hail's striped tail-tip was still touching the forest floor.

Hail raised his tail just so it was high enough not to be touching the forest floor.

"Good," complimented Fire. "We call that the prey-hunter position."

"Interesting," meowed Hail keeping his eyes forward, his body still locked in the prey-hunter position.

"Now let's see you move forward," asked Fire.

Hail crept a few steps forward before a twig suddenly cracked underneath his paw.

"Rat-dung," Fire heard Hail mutter.

"Be sure to be aware of your surroundings so that you don't step on something like that," chided Fire.

"I'll be more careful next time," promised Hail raising himself from the ground.

"Of course you will," meowed Fire. _If Hail is going to be my to-be then I'll need to start taking on the role of a teacher, _the snowy white she-cat thought to herself.

Hail suddenly paused and raised his nose. "I smell raven," he meowed after sniffing the air a few times.

Fire raised her nose catching the scent of the bird. The fur on the back of her neck pricked with fear. Ravens were one of the largest, most fierce birds known to the tribe. Their sleek, black feathers and malicious, little black eyes stroke fear into even the most experienced tree-guard's heart. A raven's humongous talons could easily gouge out a cat's eye and tear through pelt and flesh.

Fire became even more afraid when she realized that she didn't even have any tree guards with her.

"Okay," Fire mewed struggling to keep her voice calm even though her heart threatened to burst from her chest. "We need to get back to the clearing right now," she meowed her voice rising in fear. She could just imagine those cruel talons ripping through her flesh without any mercy at all.

"Why?" asked Hail. "Don't you hunt them?"

"Hunt them? How can we hunt _them_? They are huge!" Fire exclaimed, her mew growing shrill.

"Ebony and I always hunted them together in the twolegplace," explained Hail looking a bit confused. "They have a lot of meat on them."

"I don't care we are still going to-," Fire was suddenly interrupted by a loud cry from above.

A raven bore down on her crashing through the upper branches of a tree, its talons, outstretched, ready to sink into her. For a heartbeat that seemed everlasting she stood, frozen in fear. Unable to brace herself, she just closed her eyes and turned her head away, waiting for its talons to score through her pelt but in that moment one thought still dominated her mind.

_Will I even make it?_

**Review my people of awesomeness!**_  
_


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! Dustwhisker the Cat here back yet again with another chapter of this story! I made some slight changes to my writing style. I made the paragraphs longer and tried giving better descriptions of the characters' feelings. Remember to review and thanks to all who do!**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

Fear pounded inside Fire's chest. What was she thinking? Going out alone only to interrogate an honest cat without a single tree-guard to protect her; Fire felt that she should have trusted Hail earlier and now she wouldn't be stuck out in the open with a raven bearing down on her. She could have gone out on a regular hunting with her new to-be being protected by the tree-guards. _But now is too late._

There was a sudden angry yowl that came from Hail. Forcing open her eyes that had been sealed by terror Fire caught sight of a tumbling, snarling, squawking tangle of fur and feathers. Hail had clamped his jaws around the raven's skinny black feet, anchoring the malicious black bird to the ground, drawing glistening scarlet fluid.

"Fire! Bite the raven's neck!" urged Hail.

"What?" Fire exclaimed backing away, her eyes widened in terror. She felt more scared than she had in all the past moons of her life. She remembered all of the stories of cats being torn apart by mobs of these vicious creatures, she remembered how seeing a raven feather in the Pond of the Fallen Leaves was an extremely bad omen, she remembered how when she was only a to-be she had found her teacher's mauled body lying before her in the forest in such a state Fire couldn't describe how horrible it looked.

"Fire, do it!" yowled Hail suddenly with a note of desperation in his voice now trying to dodge piercing blows the raven was making with its claw-sharp beak.

"I-I…" Fire trailed off, the vicious memory of her teacher filling her mind. But then the image of her teacher's body was replaced with that of Hail's, as mutilated as her teacher's had been. _No, I can't let the same thing happen again! _The sudden thought bolted through her head faster than lightning. Sudden determination surged through the prey-hunter all the way down her paws and the end of her tail.

Crouching down and springing upwards Fire lunged at the raven uttering a yowl of fury. Unsheathing her claws she dug them into the base of the raven's wings with such force that the raven and herself toppled over, sending Fire crashing into the leaf-strewn floor. The sudden impact forcing the breath out of her lungs, Fire parted her jaws to take in some air but instead she found them full of raven feathers. Her lungs screaming and her instincts yelling at her even louder Fire brought her jaws down on whatever part of the raven's body was in her mouth.

There was a sharp crack as Fire felt bones splinter underneath her jaws. The scar-faced she cat felt warm blood food into her mouth and splash onto her muzzle and face. Fire felt a sudden rush of satisfaction that was unlike her. But the raven was still struggling showing that she had missed its neck and had not in fact killed it yet.

Out of the corner of her vision she caught sight of Hail. Nothing but a blur the silver tabby leapt up and scored his claws across the raven's neck. The immense bird gave a strangled cry bending up its head and wings one last time before it collapsed twitching, its sleek black feathers stained a cedar-bark red.

Fire rolled the raven off of her and sucked in a deep breath filling her starved lungs. Exhaling she began to realize the full magnitude of what she had done. The body of the raven lay at her paws, its beady black eyes no longer shining with malice but however empty, lifeless.

"You did it!" exclaimed Hail bounding up to Fire. "We got the raven!"

"We?" Fire echoed looking at Hail's bloodstained paw. "You are the one who killed it," she meowed looking towards the gash in the raven's throat.

"Yes but you were the one who pulled it off when it was trying to peck my eyes out," Hail added with a _mrrow _of laughter.

Fire began to realize the full magnitude of what she had just done. Hail and she had just killed one of the most dangerous birds in the forest, something that no tree-hunter, much less a prey-hunter and her to-be would be able to do.

"Fire, you looked extremely afraid when I asked you to kill the raven," noted Hail. "Isn't killing birds something you commonly do?"

"What? No," Fire lied. "All the tribe fears ravens." The prey-hunter knew this was not completely true. To most of the tribe ravens were just something that you can keep away just by being in a group and were only dangerous if you didn't have an experienced fighter with you. Fire knew that her fear came ingrained in her memory of that fateful day that her teacher, who acted like the mother who she never had was killed by the vicious black-feathered birds.

Yet now that the raven was dead she felt that she just had to let her former teacher know so that her soul can rest in peace now that at least one of the things that caused her to lose her life has now lost its own.

_Don't worry Echo that Returns After Yowl, _Fire thought sitting down on her haunches, wrapping her tail around her paws and bowing her head in prayer. _I have avenged you._

**In the next chapter I'm thinking of going back a few moons to explore the event of her mentor's death... Do you think I should do that? Tell me in a review!  
**

**-Dustwhisker**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone it is great to be back! I haven't updated this story in about a month or so! I was so busy! (Being distracted) Anyways here is a chapter from Fire's point of view from the time she was a to-be. Enjoy and remember to leave me a review! (Also want to thank KittyLovesManga for reviewing the last chapter :)  
**

**Chapter 6**

_15 moons earlier…_

Fire that Burns after Lightning awoke within the comfort of her nest in the to-be den blinking within the single shaft of light that shone in through a crack in the hollow log where the to-be's rested. Scrunching up her eyes and turning onto her side the white-pelted to-be yawned as she stretched her spine and extended her claws. That seemed to help relax her muscles.

"Up already Fire?" asked a voice from the end of the log.

Fire opened her eyes and caught sight of Morning of the Red Sun, another to-be, and a nuisance at the least. Kits were always running away at the sight of Fire's own horribly burned face and other cats still seemed a bit repulsed by it. However, Morning seemed to be giving her more attention than what she needed, which was something she did not need.

"Yes," Fire responded to the ginger tabby and white tom.

"Great! Want to go on a hunting together?" asked Morning.

"Not now," Fire meowed. "Echo wanted me to go on a training session with her."

"Oh, all right then!" responded Morning looking a bit crestfallen but was trying to remain cheerful.

Eager to get away from the pestering to-be Fire quickly made her way out of the other end of the log. She emerged into the bright Clearing of the Rustling Oak. It was the Time of New Leaves; the air was warm and fresh with the scent of growing things, which was especially welcome after the harsh moons of The Time of Bare Branches.

"Well how is my precious daughter doing?" came a tender mew.

"Father," Fire purred, turning around and greeting the dark gray tom that greeted her. "How are you doing, Raccoon?" Raccoon was her only surviving parent, a still remaining source of love for her which she cherished above all things in her life.

"Very well but I have something to tell you," meowed Raccoon. "I'm retiring from my position as a tree-guard today."

"You mean you are becoming an elder?" asked Fire.

"Yes," responded Raccoon.

"Why?" asked Fire. The to-be could see no reason why her father would have to retire. The elder's den was where all of the old weak cats were. Her father was the complete opposite of that. He was strong, diligent, and a great tree-guard. "You have no reason to retire now, Father."

"Well Fire let's face it," meowed Raccoon. "My forepaw has really been bothering me; it hurts to even place it on the ground."

Fire looked down at her father's paws and saw that one was raised off of the ground. The to-be suddenly saw that her father was right. A section of his leg above one of his paws was free of fur, red, raw, and mangled.

"You mean your badger bite has not healed?" asked Fire concernedly.

"It has healed…" Raccoon began. "But Leafteller has told me that it has healed the wrong way; I can't do my duties now," the dark gray tom mewed a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Oh Father…" Fire meowed understandingly brushing her muzzle against his. The two embraced each other in this way for a few heartbeats before finally breaking apart.

"Well don't worry about me," meowed Raccoon. "I can always count on my daughter to take good care of me in the elder's den." The tom let out a throaty purr before turning away and padding off.

"Yes you can," Fire murmured to herself.

Fire padded around the log only to run straight into Bright, another to-be.

"Watch where you are going to beetle brain!" spat Bright, jumping back and glaring at Fire whose eyes instantly widened as she tried apologizing.

"Sorry!" Fire exclaimed. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"Well obviously!" snarled Bright, her dark-cream fur bristling. "Your own eyes don't even want to see past that hideous face of yours!"

"It's not hideous!" exclaimed Fire. "Raccoon always told me that I was the most beautiful and precious kits he had ever had!"

"Oh grow up!" cried Bright obviously enjoying Fire's displeasure. "You are Raccoon's _only_ kit! And good thing he didn't have more otherwise they would just be as unskilled at their duties like he was," the older to-be snarled.

"Don't say that!" cried out Fire. "He was a great tree-guard!"

"Yeah but look at him now," Bright mewed contemptuously. "Retiring early just because of a simple badger bite."

"It really hurt him!" Fire meowed piteously starting to feel like a kit. "You should know better!"

"Well you should have known better than to even be a prey-hunter!" retorted Bright. "That white pelt of yours makes you stand out all the way from here to the swamps! No wonder you are so useless!"

These words stung more than a nest full of angry wasps. Fire was speechless. Not meeting Bright's gaze she turned tail and ran. Was she really useless?

She didn't want to think about it.

**I'm planning to make the next chapter from Hail's past and from his point of view. What do you think? And remember (don't forget) to always review!**

**-Dustwhisker**


	8. Chapter 7

**Please note that when I say "24 moons earlier" I mean 24 moons before the raven attack and not 24 moons before the previous chapter. Please remember to review, this is from Hails point of view when he was a kit. Enjoy! (And thanks to Goldsong and Born of True Destiny for reviewing the last chapter!)**

**-Dustwhisker**

**Chapter 7**

_24 moons earlier…_

Hail trudged through the downpour towards his mother. Harsh, glowing trees shed their sickening yellow light upon hard, stone surfaces. On a gray stone alleyway that stank of the black thunderpath next to it three cats, two kits and one she-cat padded alongside a wooden fence in the dismal night. Hail felt terribly exposed, wet, and cold. He wondered where his mother was taking him.

The silver tabby kit watched as a twoleg passed by, its forepaws deep inside its pelt walk straight pass them, indifferent to how cold, wet, and hungry they were.

Hunger… Hail couldn't take his mind off the feeling which gnawed within his belly. How it pained him… and the rest of his family. All of his family Hail had ever known was his brother, and his mother, never his father.

Hail desperately wanted to ask where his mother was leading him and his brother. But seeing the pained but determined look on her gray-furred face he decided to keep silent, however Ebony, his brother already spoken up:

"Mama where are we going?" Ebony's weak, high-pitched mew was piteous; his black pelt was plastered against his body clearly defining the bones beneath his pelt. "I'm really tired."

"Well you will just have to continue walking," Finch, Ebony and Hail's mother mewed sharply still padding ahead. "It would be unfair if I have to pick up one of you and have to leave the other walking."

Hail heard Ebony make a small sound of sadness. He felt sorry for his littermate, but he couldn't help but wonder why Finch was being so curt with them lately. Didn't she love them anymore?

"Here we are," Finch mewed abruptly stopping at the entrance of a garden of a twoleg nest.

"Why are we here?" Hail couldn't help but ask.

"This is your father's home," meowed Finch. "You are going to live here."

Hail froze. Live here? He couldn't imagine living with Twolegs, much less his father living with them. He remembered the twoleg that walked past him, Ebony and Finch. It seemed so unsympathetic, giving no care to their plight.

"We-we can't live with Twolegs," stammered Hail more from the shock of his mother's decision rather than the cold. "They don't care about us, and what about you Mama?" Hail asked looking up to the gray flecked she-cat he knew as his mother.

Finch sighed. "Look kits," she began turning to face them, her clear green eyes were like verdant stars. "I can't take care of you anymore," her voice showed just the slightest trace of emotion. The gray-flecked she cat paused. Hail let these words sink in. It all suddenly came together with appalling sense. Her milk supplies had dried up, her acting so detached from them, bringing him here to his father's twoleg nest. She was giving them up.

Suddenly the idea of living in a twoleg nest seemed perfectly fine; if Finch could just live with them as well.

As if having read his mind Ebony spoke up. "Can't you live with us, Mama?"

"No," meowed Finch, "These Twolegs won't let me."

"How come?" mewled Hail. The silver tabby kit desperately wanted to find that his mother had no reason to leave him and that she could at least live with the Twolegs together.

"Because I'm just a filthy _street-cat_," Finch spat the last word. "But not you, you two are still little kits, the Twolegs like that about you."

"Well what difference does it make?" mewed Hail. "We still all are cats."

"All the difference," meowed Finch sadly. "Now stay there kits." The gray flecked she-cat ushered the kits underneath some kind of a plant with sharp smelling flowers and even sharper thorns. Hail and Ebony took care to avoid them. Even though they were protected from the rain it was still extremely damp and unpleasant down there. Hail looked to his right and saw that his brother was shivering. Ebony's green eyes were wide with fear and anxiety. Hail pressed his sodden pelt next to Ebony's to give him comfort even though he felt the same way. But he had to remain strong, he couldn't let himself show that he just wanted to curl into a ball and wail his grief to the sky. After all he was being abandoned, left behind, by his own mother.

A sudden angry growl caught Hail's attention.

"I don't want any of your kits!" It was the deep snarl of a tomcat.

"What?" It was the distressed mew of his mother. "But you are their own father for The Creator's sake!"

"Hail, what's going on?" asked Ebony still shivering violently.

"Nothing, nothing at all," meowed Hail soothingly even though he knew these words were false as he poked his head out of the bush to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

On the brightly illuminated porch of the twoleg dwelling Hail recognized his mother but not a large burly black tabby tomcat who had his back arched and his lips drawn back in a snarl.

"As far as I'm concerned I don't have any kits," snarled the tomcat. "They are pitiful mewling creatures that I don't give a scrap of dung for."

"How can you say that?" cried Finch. "You are my _mate_! If you love me then why can't you love your kits?"

"I don't love you," growled the tomcat. "Not anymore, you are too much of a burden for me to carry, I should have known better than to become mates with a _street-cat_!"

"How could you?" Finch began starting to back away. "You said-,"

"I don't care what I said," sneered the back tabby tom. "And I don't care about you. Now get out of my sight!"

"Never! My kits need a home – not until you-," began Finch.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU FILTHY THING!" The tom brought his unsheathed claws across Finch's face knocking her backwards. Hail watched in horror as his mother gave a cry of pain and stumbled off the steps, collapsing into a rain puddle.

Hail's jaws stood agape as he saw his mother's blood mixing with the water staining it a deep crimson. The tom had disappeared.

"Someone help!" he cried as he dashed do his mother's side. "Please someone help my mama's dying! Help!"

His cries faded into silence as nothing responded. Not the rain, not the glowing lights of the twolegplace. Nothing. Hail felt coldness penetrating his very being, he suddenly felt tired. He felt blackness closing around his vision and fell into oblivion not before he saw a twoleg she-kit stop at the entrance of the twoleg garden.

He heard her give a little shriek at the sight she saw and he saw her rush forward and scoop him up in her surprisingly warm front-paws. The last thing Hail knew was that he was being carried off but he had lost the strength to care as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

**Please tell me what you think about this chapter! Review!**

**-Dustwhisker**


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